2004 Series

Chris Smith

Kat Arney

On today's show consultant neurologist Dr Roger Barker, and developmental biologist Dr Adrian Pini, join us to discuss the problem of spinal injury, disorders of the nervous system, and ways to repair the damaged brain through the use of embryonic and other stem cell grafts.

Chris Smith

Kat Arney

On today's show consultant dermatologist Dr Jane Sterling joins us to talk about skin diseases including athlete's foot, dandruff, birthmarks, freckles, hair bleaching, moles, and skin cancer, and technologist Dr. Symon Cotton, from Astron Clinica, demonstrates a new scanner which can help doctors to pick up skin cancer at a much earlier stage.

GM Cress to clear minefields, why fingers wrinkle in the bath, wristwatch can tell when you are fertile, bird (avian) flu serious problem in Asia, bets on Albatrosses to raise cash for conservation, plus interview guests Dr. John Emsley - "Vanity, Vitality and Virility (Viagra) - the chemistry of every day life" and Prof. Peter McNaughton discussing the science of pain and pain-relieving drugs.

Condom factory in Brazil conserves rainforest, superglue from the sea, what babies hear when inside mum, bone-conduction mobile phones, mosquito attractant discovered, beetle love-nest, dog DNA fingerprinting and interview guests Harry Witchel discussing "The Science of Spiderman", and Jim Al-Khalili talking about "quantum mechanics".

Commercial GM crop planting to begin in UK, fish communicate by farting, whales and sharks eating giant squid, cloned GM cows engineered to resist BSE, Bee genome sequenced, why does egg change colour when you cook it ?, how do fish breathe underwater, science fact or science fiction and interview guest Professor Simon Baron-Cohen discusses the differences between how men and women think, and what is autism ?

New source of anti-microbials for hospital superbugs, piranah attacks on the increase in Brazil, low tar cigarettes as bad as higher tar, garlic-based anti-cancer smart-bomb, cancer magic-bullet for lymphoma, an interview with Beagle 2 co-ordinator Prof. Colin Pillinger, and special guests Simon Cotton, demonstrating a skin scanner for the rapid diagnosis of melanoma, and skin cancer expert Dr. Fiona Watt - "what is cancer, what causes it and how can we treat it ?"

An update on the on-going mars exploration, extreme bacteria found in Hawaiian volcanic rock, knighthood for internet inventor, caveman wine discovered, apple peeling prevents dementia, stardust probe collects comet samples, plus advice from Professor Steve O'Rahilly on "how to lose weight and what causes obesity ?"